Do we like them?

Do we like Princess Zelda?

A character from The Legend of Zelda (1986–present)

Our score: 9 out of 10. Yes, we'd back her. She is wise, brave and gets more hands-on with each game. She just spends too much of the series waiting to be rescued.

Zelda is the princess of Hyrule. In most games she holds the Triforce of Wisdom, which makes her a target for evil forces such as Ganondorf. Each Zelda descends from the first, who founded the royal line and the kingdom. The usual setup is that she is in danger and Link, the hero, sets out to help her and the kingdom. She is the title character, but for most of the series she isn't the one you play.

Her personality has shifted from game to game. Some versions are regal and mostly ceremonial. The best-loved ones, such as those in Ocarina of Time, The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess, take a more active part in the adventure. In the recent Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom games she is a driven scholar and a determined leader who looks as much like a warrior as Link does. That mix of intelligence, duty and stubbornness is why she scores so well.

Her big recent moments are the reason the score is high. In Echoes of Wisdom she is the playable hero. Link vanishes into a rift, and she teams up with a fairy named Tri and uses the Tri Rod to create 'echoes' of objects and monsters to save him and the kingdom. In Tears of the Kingdom she turns into the Light Dragon to get the Master Sword to Link, a sacrifice that critics called a case of Zelda rescuing us instead of the other way round.

She loses points for the old habit of being the damsel in distress. Even in her stronger outings, critics have noted that she can end up in the princess's usual position. Her goodness, competence and courage are never in doubt, though.